"Offers an exhaustively researched, academic look at the forces that threaten these two great spirits that should be essential reading for anyone with an interest in protecting all that makes them great." —Punch (named Divided Spirits one of Fall/Winter 2015's Best Drink Books)

"Sarah Bowen’s book is meticulously researched and delivers an important message about the limits of market mechanisms to reform the food system and deliver economic justice. Accessible to the casual reader as well as the seasoned food scholar, this work sets the bar for high-quality food scholarship." —Josée Johnston, author of Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape

"Sarah Bowen’s investigation of tequila and mezcal production in contemporary Mexico is masterful. She evocatively lays out the perils and possibilities of 'glocalization' as a strategy for protecting people, food, and drinks with a clear-eyed examination of the consequences of instituting denominations of origin and quality standards for tequila and mezcal." —Amy Trubek, University of Vermont

​Divided Spirits tells the stories of tequila and mezcal, two of Mexico’s most iconic products. Tequila and mezcal are both protected by denominations of origin (DOs), legal designations that aim to guarantee a product’s authenticity based on its link to terroir. Advocates argue that the DOs expand market opportunities, protect cultural heritage, and ensure the reputation of Mexico’s national spirits. Yet this book shows how the institutions that are supposed to guard “the legacy of all Mexicans” often fail those who are most in need of protection: the small producers, agave farmers, and other workers who have been making tequila and mezcal for generations. The consequences—for the quality and taste of tequila and mezcal, and for communities throughout Mexico—are stark.